LeBron James Talks Plans for NBA Retirement, 'My Journey is Going to Be My Journey'
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin he doesn’t see former players who stepped into broadcasting roles after their NBA careers as examples of what he should do following his own retirement.
James was asked by McMenamin in February if he had paid “extra attention” to the media jobs taken by former NBA stars like Tracy McGrady, Carmelo Anthony, Richard Jefferson and Dwyane Wade after their respective playing careers.
“No. F-k no… D-Wade, T-Mac, Melo, all of those guys are different,” James told McMenamin. “I don’t really look at none of those guys [as examples to follow]. My journey is going to be my journey.”
James continued, “I respect everything that they all got going on, it’s pretty cool, I love seeing Melo on TV now. He knows the game. I love seeing D-Wade do his thing. But, yeah, I am not really looking at them like that.”
James was then asked if he had been thinking about how to fill his time after his playing career on his own.
“Hell yeah. My wife is going to get a lot of f–king time because I’ve had to sacrifice not being with my wife a lot because I wanted to be the greatest player that ever played this game,” James told McMenamin. “My daughter, I’m going to spend a lot of time with her because I spent the first 11 years of her life— or 12, whenever this s–t is over, 13— being away from her. My youngest son is in college.
“My family deserves all my time. And then, me. I deserve my time, too. Because I’ve dedicated to this sport for so long that I’ll be happy as f–k when it’s all done to get the f–k away and give myself some grace.”
James’ guess as to how old his 11-year-old daughter will be by the time he retires could indicate he’s considering at least another season in the NBA.
The Lakers star is currently playing this season on an expiring contract and has yet to confirm whether he plans to become the first NBA player to return for a 24th season.
James averaged 20.9 points and 6.1 rebounds through 60 games of his age-41 campaign. Should he decide to return for another season, the question will be whether he would re-sign with the Lakers or join another team he’s been tied to such as the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Before James answers any more questions about next season or his post-retirement plans, he’ll look to lead the shorthanded Lakers into the second round of the NBA playoffs.
The Lakers are up 3-1 in their first-round series against the Houston Rockets in large part thanks to James’ ability to step up in the injury absence of Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić and could advance with a Game 5 win on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.